Now the mind abstracted from outward, every-day objects, or such as have dominion over it through the medium of the senses, will soon become acquainted with its own noble faculties. It certainly is a truth, and every thinking man will remark it as he mingles with men, that they all seem unconscious of their natures. A wiser than man has revealed to us, and Philosophy tells us, that there are fountains of bliss in ourselves; and that if we taste of these, we shall look upon those things which constitute most of the enjoyment of our race, as worth little or nothing. Of this truth, we say, men seem ignorant. A being with half our natural faculties, would be capacitated for about as much bliss as most men take. The extent of many, we may say of most of the human family’s ideas of happiness, might almost be comprehended by a sagacious animal. Does it not consist mainly, in securing such a portion of worldly substance, as shall make them comfortable? It is so, manifestly. Now let me ask, if this, in the scale of being, elevates us much above brutes. Brutes do all this; and it might be remarked without much hazard, that, instinct taken into account, they take a higher stand than we do. Retirement, however, turning the mind into itself, as remarked above, tends to correct this evil; and did society think more, its condition would instantly be improved. Thought opens new sources of thought; these sources other sources, increasing in tenfold ratio: and this unravels that which is so often esteemed a mystery by many, viz. that men, once devoted to books, can never be brought back to business men; and, furthermore, it shows an egregious error in those who account for this devotion, on the grounds of habit. That we are creatures of habit in a great degree, none will deny; but that habit can be broken, is as readily admitted—whereas, this devotion was never known to be lessened.